Building partnerships with low-income families of students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Implications for professional school counselors

Abstract

Parental involvement is vital in helping students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) perform successfully in schools. Often, low-income families are not involved in their children's education. Therefore, the school counselor's role in partnering with families of students with ADHD to work for their children's academic and social success in school is addressed. Effective ways professional school counselors can encourage parental involvement, such as trainings and family education programs, are also explored.

Keywords:

• parental involvement
• ADHD
• students
• low income
• academic success
• education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Rebekah Cole is a Core Faculty member in the School Counseling Program in the Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Capella University. She is a licensed professional counselor and a national certified counselor. She has worked in both school and community counseling settings. Her research interests include advocacy for low-income families and preparing school counselors to work effectively with military families.

Dr Rebecca Cowan is a Core Faculty member in the Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Capella University. She is a licensed professional counselor and a national certified counselor. She has experience working in residential, inpatient, integrated care and private practice settings with children, adults, and families on a variety of issues. She has presented nationally on counselor ethics, encouraging healthy relationships among adolescents and interdisciplinary care. She has published on a variety of topics, including adolescent substance abuse, self-injury, and the homeless population.

Laurie Craigen is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at Old Dominion University and one of the associate editors of the Journal of Human Services. She received her Ed.S. in school psychology and her Ph.D. in counselor education from the College of William and Mary. As a licensed professional counselor, she currently works in a private practice setting, providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults. Her research interests include self-injurious behavior, adolescent mental health, and the socio-emotional needs of military families with children.